136 trekkers, mountaineers stranded in Uttarkashi due to snowfall; 5 evacuated

At least five people stranded at the Uttarkashi district’s Auden’s Col Pass base camp were evacuated by helicopter on Monday, officials said on Monday. Trekkers, mountaineers and support staff remain stranded at high-altitude locations following snowfall in the upper Himalayan areas of Uttarkashi district.

Efforts are underway to evacuate others from high-altitude locations whenever weather permits, officials said.

According to officials, 136 mountaineers, trekkers and support staff are currently present in the district’s high-altitude areas. Of these, 89 are part of high-altitude expeditions, while 18 are at the Kalindi Pass base camp and 29 at the Auden’s Col Pass base camp under the high-altitude trekking category.

District magistrate Prashant Arya held a meeting with officials of various departments and agencies involved in disaster management on Sunday and directed them to ensure all necessary arrangements for the safety of people at trekking routes and base camps.

The administration has also directed officials to ensure adequate supplies of ration, packed food and drinking water for trekkers and mountaineers.

Also Read:Himachal: Bengal pilgrim among 2 dead, 700 rescued amid snowfall in Lahaul-Spiti

The health department has been kept on alert, with medical teams, essential medicines and ambulances to be stationed at nearby locations for immediate medical assistance, if required.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) and forest department are also on alert, officials said.

They added that the district emergency operations centre is maintaining regular contact with expedition guides through satellite communication and monitoring the condition of people on the trekking routes.